Realgar

specimen number:
2262140

location:
Tajov, Banska Bystrica, Slovakia

description:
Bright red masses of realgar throughout this matrix with calcite. Good rich specimen for this well-known old locality.

Tajov, located near the city of Banska Bystrica in central Slovakia, is a classic European locality famous for its arsenic mineralization. Geologically, the deposit is hosted within Triassic dolomitic limestones and tectonic breccias on the eastern slopes of the Kremnica Mountains, where low-temperature hydrothermal fluids precipitated arsenic sulfides. Realgar, an arsenic sulfide, is the primary mineral of interest at this site, typically occurring as vibrant cherry-red crystals or granular masses often found in association with yellow orpiment and white calcite within clay-filled cavities. Historically, mining and quarrying activities in the Tajov and neighboring Malachov districts focused on the extraction of arsenic ore and mercury-bearing minerals, with operations dating back to the late 17th and 18th centuries. The most significant period of exploitation occurred during the 19th century when the site provided raw materials for the production of paints and chemical compounds. Although commercial mining was abandoned by the early 20th century due to the limited size of the ore bodies, the area remains highly regarded by mineralogists for the quality of its historic specimens.

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